差 chà
“different; wrong; mistaken; to fall short; to lack”
adjective, verbHSK 3 · 2021 list level 1
新HSK等级2025 HSK 3.0 syllabus level
差 appears in the November 2025 exam syllabus in the following numbered entry. Levels refer to the listed reading and use, not every meaning.
- Entry 551: 差 chà — Level 3; official annotation 3 (形、动). PDF page 93
Separate from the HSK 2.0 and 2021 list labels above. Compare the three lists.
用法How to use 差
差 (chà) most commonly means “poor,” “weak,” or “not up to standard,” describing quality, service, weather, health, grades, or ability; as an adjective it follows the topic and often takes 很/太/非常. As a verb, 差 (chà) means “to be short of, to lack,” as in 还差五分钟 or 差一个人. A different reading, chā, means “difference” (差别, 差距).
例句Example sentences
- 我的中文很差，我要多练习。wǒ de zhōng wén hěn chà, wǒ yào duō liàn xí.My Chinese is very poor; I need to practice more.
- 这家饭馆的服务太差了。zhè jiā fàn guǎn de fú wù tài chà le.The service at this restaurant is really bad.
- 还差五分钟就到八点了。hái chà wǔ fēn zhōng jiù dào bā diǎn le.There are still five minutes to go before eight o'clock.
易混词Easily confused
差vs错
错 means “wrong/mistaken” about an answer or action (说错了, 写错了), while 差 (chà) judges quality as poor or inferior (质量差, 服务差); 差 also has the separate verb sense “to be short of.”
深度指南Grammar & comparison guides
义项All meanings
- chā: difference; discrepancy; (math.) difference (amount remaining after a subtraction); (literary) a little; somewhat; slightly
- chà: different; wrong; mistaken; to fall short; to lack; not up to standard; inferior; Taiwan pr. [chā]
- chāi: to send (on an errand); (archaic) person sent on such an errand; job; official post
- cī: used in 参差